The first episode of MasterChef NZ included a fish dish that looked like prison food and a contestant who had never seen the show.

Karl Puschmann takes a closer look at New Zealand's latest TV streaming service - and doesn't like what he finds.

Netflix reunites comedy A-listers to revive cult comedy classic, Wet Hot American Summer. And the result is absurdly brilliant.

There are sparks of humanity to be found in Success' skilfully drawn takes on deeply flawed middle-aged former buddies.

Tom Cruise's latest Mission: Impossible film is darker and funnier than its immediate predecessor and feels more like a Euro-espionage thriller than a spy story stuck on an action chassis.

Wilco is giving this album away for free. Maybe it's the guilt of making ardent fans of the respected Chicago art-rock outfit fork out for their 77-track "odds and sods" collection Alpha Mike Foxtrot from last year.

Wondering what to see at the International Film Festival? Here are our latest reviews from the Auckland leg of the nationwide event.

Bullet Heart Club is well-named: the outfit that produced Rochelle Bright's heartbreaker hit Daffodils now brings us Bright's shot at heart-stopping suspense.

What exactly is FreeviewPlus, and what does it do? After living with it for a couple of weeks, Karl Puschmann may have finally figured it out.

When Kevin Parker posted early single Let It Happen back in March, he was signalling a bit of a change for the Tame Impala sound.

Our reviewer Russell Baillie discovers there's big fun to be found in Ant-Man's small-scale thrills.

This second season of NOW - New Original Works - truly reflects its name, with four confidently emerging new choreographers, expressing some very original concepts, beautifully performed by the talented and extremely hard-working team of five dancers.

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr delighted fans at Auckland's Powerstation last night, before bringing out a special Kiwi guest for the encore.

Apparently there's only two things you have to know in life: when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. I have learned that I do not know the appropriate timing for either of these things.

It starts just like the good old days. With a throbbing beat giving way to glitchy hooks and silky vocals, Sometimes I Feel So Deserted entices you to jump around like their late-90s classics Out of Control and Let Forever Be.

The past decade or so has come to be known as the "golden age" of television.

Last night the electronic duo went out with a bang at The Studio in Auckland.

Ever wonder where all the post-emo scene kids ended up? At Twenty One Pilots' sold out Auckland show, of course.

Retro-soul has been tapping into our nostalgia for a more stylish era, and capturing many ears across the globe for a good decade now, so this record by 25-year-old Texan native Leon Bridges ain't breaking any new ground.

It’s following one of the most fiercely original and revelatory seasons of television ever. So why isn’t season two of True Detective firing? Karl Puschmann evaluates the evidence.

Each Eyeworks show succeeds - where X Factor manifestly failed - thanks to the attention to detail paid to the people we'd be watching each night, writes Duncan Greive.

The last time shirtless guys in their 20s showed off their Maori tats at the beach was on The GC. Here's another semi-local show, a little under the radar, a little weirder and darker.

If you are searching out a gift for that opera-loving friend who has everything, this new Deutsche Grammophon boxed set should fit the bill.

You won't find Miguel in the gossip mags. You won't see him cavorting with supermodels. And you won't catch him courting controversy on TMZ.

Non-comedian guests deliver some golden moments on Jaquie Brown's otherwise lacklustre new game show, writes Alex Casey.

The dancers went all out to impress the judges, with new looks, X-Men haircuts and, for Jay-Jay Harvey, a raunchy cheerleading outfit. But did it pay off?

There came a moment towards the end of Thursday night's concert when Julia Deans was thanking the audience for coming, and warmly added "If there's anyone rich in the audience who would like to help us take this show on a world tour."

She's one of New Zealand's favourite musical personalities, always lively and a little bit cheeky.